By far the largest number of motor vehicle crash deaths are occupants of passenger vehicles including cars, minivans, pickups, SUVs, and cargo/large passenger vans. The likelihood of crash death varies markedly among these vehicle types according to size. Small/light vehicles have less structure and size to absorb crash energy, so more injurious forces can reach their occupants in crashes. People in lighter vehicles are at a disadvantage in collisions with heavier vehicles.
Kahane, C.J. 2003. Vehicle weight, fatality risk and crash compatibility of model year 1991-99 passenger cars and light trucks. Report no. DOT HS-809-662. Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Pickups and SUVs are proportionally more likely than cars to be in fatal single-vehicle crashes, especially rollovers. However, pickups and SUVs generally are heavier than cars, so occupant deaths in SUVs and pickups are less likely to occur in multiple-vehicle crashes.

Guide to car size groups

Guide to SUV size groups

Guide to pickup size groups

Curb weight

Shadow
(overall length x width in square feet)

Curb weight

Curb weight

≤ 80

81-90

91-100

101-110

> 110

Small

≤ 3,750 lbs

Small

≤ 4,000 lbs

≤ 2,500 lbs

Mini

Small

Small

Small

Midsize

Midsize

3,751-4,750 lbs

Large

> 4,000 lbs and carrying capacity = 1/2 ton

2,501-3,000 lbs

Small

Small

Midsize

Midsize

Midsize

Large

4,751-5,750 lbs

Very large

> 4,000 lbs and carrying capacity > 1/2 ton

3,001-3,500 lbs

Small

Midsize

Midsize

Large

Large

Very large

> 5,750 lbs or shadow > 115 sq ft

3,501-4,000 lbs

Small

Midsize

Large

Large

Very large

> 4,000 lbs

Midsize

Midsize

Large

Very large

Very large

Note: Passenger versions of vans often referred to as minivans are classified as cars.

The following facts are based on analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and The Polk Company's National Vehicle Population Profile.

Data subsections:

Trends

A total of 23,437 passenger vehicle occupants died in 2009, 23 percent less than in 1975. However, the distribution of vehicle types among these crashes has changed. Car occupant deaths have declined 45 percent since 1975, while pickup occupant deaths have risen 29 percent and SUV occupant deaths are more than 9 times as high.

Passenger vehicle occupant deaths by vehicle type, 1975-2009

Passenger vehicle occupant deaths by vehicle type, 1975-2009

Year

Car occupants

Pickup occupants

SUV occupants

All passenger vehicle occupants

1975

25,715

3,674

455

30,601

1976

26,163

4,225

577

31,724

1977

26,698

4,512

729

32,823

1978

27,898

5,103

852

34,923

1979

27,518

5,423

945

35,026

1980

27,282

5,489

1,124

34,996

1981

26,406

5,236

1,021

33,711

1982

23,144

4,779

862

29,656

1983

22,801

4,660

920

29,154

1984

23,482

4,884

886

30,093

1985

23,076

4,892

1,024

29,847

1986

24,880

5,334

1,131

32,224

1987

25,115

5,795

1,269

33,145

1988

25,825

6,089

1,320

34,105

1989

25,269

6,016

1,373

33,599

1990

24,413

6,032

1,480

32,711

1991

22,738

5,858

1,521

30,810

1992

21,824

5,476

1,390

29,457

1993

22,117

5,611

1,552

29,994

1994

22,622

5,604

1,809

30,820

1995

23,124

5,973

2,006

31,913

1996

23,426

5,928

2,210

32,353

1997

23,162

5,922

2,416

32,343

1998

22,357

5,904

2,711

31,781

1999

22,119

6,095

3,019

32,008

2000

21,985

5,996

3,337

32,109

2001

21,604

6,121

3,521

31,938

2002

22,007

6,058

4,022

32,724

2003

21,053

5,833

4,463

32,166

2004

20,560

5,716

4,772

31,750

2005

19,892

6,040

4,847

31,455

2006

19,034

5,877

4,973

30,628

2007

17,762

5,758

4,975

29,155

2008

15,691

5,021

4,350

25,547

2009

14,058

4,737

4,246

23,437

A total of 16,791 passenger vehicle drivers died in 2009, 8 percent less than in 2008 and 13 percent less than in 1975. Sixty percent of passenger vehicle driver deaths in 2009 were car drivers, 22 percent were pickup drivers, and 17 percent were SUV drivers.

Nine percent of passenger vehicle occupant deaths were in the second or third row; 27 percent of these were younger than 13.

Passenger vehicle occupant deaths by seating position and age, 2009

Age

< 13

13-19

≥ 20

All*

Seating position

Num

%

Num

%

Num

%

Num

Driver

0

0

1,550

9

15,233

91

16,791

Front row passenger

138

3

721

17

3,308

79

4,186

Second row passenger

493

25

487

25

953

49

1,940

Third row passenger

51

52

17

17

31

31

99

All*

754

3

2,872

12

19,774

84

23,437

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Driver death rates

Computing driver death rates per million registered passenger vehicles allows for comparisons of fatal crash risk across vehicle groups. The computed rates reflect the influence of vehicle designs plus their patterns of use and the demographics of their drivers. Driver death rates are based on 1-3-year-old vehicles only so as to minimize the effects of vehicle aging. Rates based on fewer than 120,000 vehicle registrations are considered unreliable and are not included.

Year

Car drivers

Pickup drivers

SUV drivers

All passenger vehicle drivers

Num

%

Num

%

Num

%

Num

%

1975

16,141

83

2,481

13

270

1

19,349

100

1976

16,385

82

2,890

14

347

2

20,091

100

1977

16,903

81

3,076

15

434

2

20,941

100

1978

18,047

79

3,535

16

519

2

22,758

100

1979

18,064

78

3,734

16

596

3

23,109

100

1980

17,848

78

3,776

16

684

3

22,991

100

1981

17,553

78

3,687

16

623

3

22,506

100

1982

15,235

77

3,345

17

549

3

19,664

100

1983

15,058

78

3,219

17

575

3

19,338

100

1984

15,786

78

3,422

17

557

3

20,299

100

1985

15,430

77

3,446

17

645

3

20,057

100

1986

16,503

77

3,764

18

690

3

21,503

100

1987

16,722

75

4,082

18

765

3

22,157

100

1988

17,183

75

4,332

19

850

4

22,884

100

1989

16,775

74

4,365

19

877

4

22,554

100

1990

16,200

74

4,307

20

951

4

21,953

100

1991

14,938

73

4,256

21

943

5

20,551

100

1992

14,337

73

3,958

20

863

4

19,573

100

1993

14,547

73

4,105

20

977

5

20,036

100

1994

14,916

72

4,130

20

1,140

6

20,647

100

1995

15,323

71

4,431

21

1,248

6

21,456

100

1996

15,379

71

4,402

20

1,399

6

21,631

100

1997

15,317

71

4,376

20

1,537

7

21,711

100

1998

15,035

70

4,452

21

1,686

8

21,627

100

1999

14,809

68

4,658

21

1,986

9

21,899

100

2000

14,719

67

4,535

21

2,086

10

21,819

100

2001

14,553

67

4,641

21

2,265

10

21,862

100

2002

14,897

66

4,658

21

2,599

12

22,537

100

2003

14,380

65

4,522

20

2,829

13

22,200

100

2004

14,040

64

4,344

20

3,139

14

21,952

100

2005

13,728

63

4,642

21

3,171

14

21,953

100

2006

13,235

61

4,528

21

3,347

16

21,592

100

2007

12,421

60

4,451

22

3,269

16

20,542

100

2008

11,053

61

3,929

22

2,975

16

18,266

100

2009

9,996

60

3,684

22

2,868

17

16,791

100

Since 1978, the overall rates of driver and occupant deaths per million registered vehicles have declined across all passenger vehicle types. Declines in death rates have been largest for SUV occupants.

Overall, driver deaths per million registered passenger vehicles in 2009 were about the same for single and multiple vehicle crashes, but this pattern varied by vehicle type. In single-vehicle crashes, pickups had the highest number of deaths per registered vehicle (48 per million) in 2009. In multiple-vehicle crashes, cars had the highest number of deaths per registered vehicle (31 per million), and SUVs had the lowest number of deaths per registered vehicle (14 per million).

Driver deaths per million registered passenger vehicles 1-3 years old by crash type, 2009

Multiple-vehicle

Single-vehicle

Single-vehicle rollover

All crashes

Deaths

Rate

Deaths

Rate

Deaths

Rate

Deaths

Rate

Cars

Mini

50

46

35

32

17

16

85

78

Small

289

41

257

37

140

20

547

78

Midsize

245

26

218

23

103

11

464

49

Large

127

28

85

19

37

8

213

48

Very large

52

20

25

9

10

4

77

29

All cars

767

31

625

25

309

13

1,395

57

Pickups

Small

31

24

54

41

35

27

85

65

Large

87

24

184

50

114

31

271

73

Very large

22

15

71

48

50

34

93

63

All pickups

145

22

314

48

202

31

459

71

SUVs

Small

58

19

46

15

22

7

105

35

Midsize

68

12

72

13

34

6

141

26

Large

18

9

21

10

12

6

39

19

Very large

8

14

10

18

5

9

18

32

All SUVs

153

14

150

14

74

7

305

27

All passenger vehicles

All

1,078

25

1,097

26

589

14

2,180

51

Driver deaths per million registered passenger vehicles 1-3 years old, by crash type, 2009, for pickups and SUVs by 2WD and 4WD

Multiple-vehicle

Single-vehicle

Single-vehicle rollover

All crashes

2WD

4WD

2WD

4WD

2WD

4WD

2WD

4WD

Deaths

Rate

Deaths

Rate

Deaths

Rate

Deaths

Rate

Deaths

Rate

Deaths

Rate

Deaths

Rate

Deaths

Rate

Pickups

Small

20

25

11

22

42

53

12

23

28

35

7

14

62

78

23

45

Large

55

28

32

18

91

47

93

53

46

24

68

39

146

75

125

71

Very large

4

13

18

15

11

36

60

51

8

27

42

36

15

50

78

66

All pickups

79

26

61

18

144

48

165

48

82

27

117

34

223

74

226

65

SUVs

Small

33

25

25

15

25

19

21

13

11

8

11

7

58

44

47

28

Midsize

28

14

40

11

33

17

39

11

20

10

14

4

61

31

80

22

Large

11

15

7

5

10

14

11

8

7

10

5

4

21

29

18

14

Very large

3

16

5

13

3

16

7

19

2

11

3

8

6

32

12

32

All SUVs

75

18

77

11

71

17

78

11

40

10

33

5

146

35

157

23

Frontal impacts accounted for 16 driver deaths per million registered passenger vehicles in multiple-vehicle crashes in 2009 compared with 7 deaths per million in side impacts and 1 death per million in rear impacts.

Frontal impacts accounted for 14 driver deaths per million registered passenger vehicles in single-vehicle crashes in 2009 compared with 5 deaths per million in side impacts and fewer than 1 death per million in rear impacts.

Rollover

A vehicle is classified as rolling over if it tips onto its side or roof at any time during the crash. The rollover may occur subsequent to a frontal or side impact with another vehicle or a fixed object. Many rollovers occur after a vehicle leaves the roadway and may lead to occupants being ejected from the vehicle, increasing the likelihood of a fatality.

Year

Car drivers

Pickup drivers

SUV drivers

All passenger vehicle drivers

Num

%

Num

%

Num

%

Num

%

1975

16,141

83

2,481

13

270

1

19,349

100

1976

16,385

82

2,890

14

347

2

20,091

100

1977

16,903

81

3,076

15

434

2

20,941

100

1978

18,047

79

3,535

16

519

2

22,758

100

1979

18,064

78

3,734

16

596

3

23,109

100

1980

17,848

78

3,776

16

684

3

22,991

100

1981

17,553

78

3,687

16

623

3

22,506

100

1982

15,235

77

3,345

17

549

3

19,664

100

1983

15,058

78

3,219

17

575

3

19,338

100

1984

15,786

78

3,422

17

557

3

20,299

100

1985

15,430

77

3,446

17

645

3

20,057

100

1986

16,503

77

3,764

18

690

3

21,503

100

1987

16,722

75

4,082

18

765

3

22,157

100

1988

17,183

75

4,332

19

850

4

22,884

100

1989

16,775

74

4,365

19

877

4

22,554

100

1990

16,200

74

4,307

20

951

4

21,953

100

1991

14,938

73

4,256

21

943

5

20,551

100

1992

14,337

73

3,958

20

863

4

19,573

100

1993

14,547

73

4,105

20

977

5

20,036

100

1994

14,916

72

4,130

20

1,140

6

20,647

100

1995

15,323

71

4,431

21

1,248

6

21,456

100

1996

15,379

71

4,402

20

1,399

6

21,631

100

1997

15,317

71

4,376

20

1,537

7

21,711

100

1998

15,035

70

4,452

21

1,686

8

21,627

100

1999

14,809

68

4,658

21

1,986

9

21,899

100

2000

14,719

67

4,535

21

2,086

10

21,819

100

2001

14,553

67

4,641

21

2,265

10

21,862

100

2002

14,897

66

4,658

21

2,599

12

22,537

100

2003

14,380

65

4,522

20

2,829

13

22,200

100

2004

14,040

64

4,344

20

3,139

14

21,952

100

2005

13,728

63

4,642

21

3,171

14

21,953

100

2006

13,235

61

4,528

21

3,347

16

21,592

100

2007

12,421

60

4,451

22

3,269

16

20,542

100

2008

11,053

61

3,929

22

2,975

16

18,266

100

2009

9,996

60

3,684

22

2,868

17

16,791

100

A total of 8,296 passenger vehicle occupants died in rollover crashes in 2009. Nineteen percent of these did not involve any other impact.